Chapter Text
My phone rings and I look over, my fine detail tools in hand. Instantly, my heart drops and I can't breath.
Staring back at me is her name, her photo, and her calling. Her, my girl, my best friend.
The only person I've ever and will ever love.
It rings another four times before I can snap out of my trance and pick it up. The line is quiet but I can hear her breathing. It's been two years and I didn't know until now how much you could love hearing someone do something as simple as breathing.
"Boran?" she says. Her voice, my name on her lips, it's crushing. Lynn's voice is beautiful. A little gravely but mellow and clear. When she speaks, her voice stays with you. So do her eyes, and her smile, and her freckles. Everything about her lingers in the air after.
"Hi," I say back. It feels so wrong, because two years ago, I would've started the conversation by flirting with her and calling her Lynnette. I haven't called her Lynnette in so long.
"Sorry for calling you," she says. Lynn has no idea how long I've waited to hear from her. "I just... wanted to ask a question."
"Yeah, go for it," I say, leaning back into my chair so I don't faint.
"I'm sure you've seen the news about Hurricane Aella," she says, her voice unsure. Of course I heard about Aella. The storm expected to hit New Orleans at a Catagory Five strength in July of all times. Everyone is going crazy over it. The videos of people ransacking stores for stupid things they didn't need are all over my feed, but it's pretty funny to watch.
"Goose just called me to share something," she says. "He thinks that the remains of the storm might collide with some cold air as it moves north and possibly create a massive late-season tornado outbreak. I know, it's really far fetched, but I think it might happen."
I can see Lynn's awkward smile on her face as she nervously laughs about the storm. Her awkward smile is really cute, a little lopsided on the right from the scar on her face. Her eyes crinkle at the edges and I feel my heart melt.
"Are you excited?" I ask. "To go chase the storms."
It's silent and I can feel the mic drop moment coming. "I haven't chased any hurricanes yet," she says, her voice quiet. "I haven't been in once since the one we were in."
I blink away distorted memories and recover quickly. "You can do it," I say. "You're one of the strongest people I know."
"I need you with me," she quickly says, catching me off guard. "Wait-no, let me rephrase it. I haven't been in a hurricane yet and I don't know it I can do it without you. I'm so sorry if this feels out of place and you really don't want-"
"Lynn," I say and she stops. "I want to do it."
She's quiet. "You do?"
"Yeah," I say. "Besides, it'll be nice to see you again."
Both of us are quiet now. We haven't seen each other since the day she told me she didn't love me or wanted me. Lynn Rayo, the girl of my dreams, told me she never loved me. And then she told me that she wanted me to go. So I did what she wanted. I left.
"I have to go," she says, "I'll be in New Orleans in two days. You might want to get there soon because they're canceling a lot of flights."
"Yup," I say. "Alright, see you soon Lynn."
"Hey, Boran," she says.
"Yeah?"
"It's nice to hear your voice."
Those words melt me. I mumble something before she hangs up and I am left there, my phone pressed to my face as I stare at the wall. My roomate, Josh, sticks his head through my door and looks at my dismal state.
"Bro, I know you have this whole 'quiet and mysterious' vibe, but you just took it up a notch," he says. "Who just called?"
I shake my head and put my phone down. "An old friend," I say. "I'm gonna be gone for a few days."
"Wow, how cryptic," Josh says. "Where to?"
"New Orelans."
Josh laughs before he sees my face again and stops. "Well shit," he says. "Right before a hurricane? That's not very smart."
I wave him off. "I've done stupider things," I say. "Besides, it's gonna be a great scouting opportunity. I can talk to some locals and see if there's anyone who might be open to some renovations."
Josh nods and looks down at my phone. "Yeah, there's another reason," he says. "Who called you?"
I run my fingers through my air and look out the window at Miami. I left MIT after sophmore year and transfered here. I left Dustin, Aliza, the frat, my new friends. All of it. I needed a restart. New school, new city, new roomate, I even buzzed my hair(do not recomend, Josh flammed me for it when we first met). I lived alone at first before deciding that I needed another human to keep me company and basically adopted a guy from my calculus class. Josh is cool and he doesn't eat my leftovers unlike Dustin, who inhales food at the speed of light.
"Well, the girl who called me is the reason behind my 'quiet and mysterious' vibe," I say, turning to him and giving him a grim smile.
"Really, a trip with your ex?" he asks.
"She wasn't even my girlfriend," I say. Josh is holding back his full evilness towards me because I'm not a bad roomate but I can see it on his face. He thinks I'm stupidest person on Earth.
"Alright, well, can I have my girlfriend over for the night while you're gone?" he asks.
"As long as my room stays untouched," I say. "If you mess with any of my models, I'm never making carbonara ever again."
"Asshole," Josh replies. "Alright, go get that girl back."
I shake my head and look back out the window. My hand goes to the worn stapled stack of papers I have carried with me since I was eighteen. "No, she doesn't want me."
And I'll never have her.